7 Inventors Who Regretted Their Creations BIG TIME

Developing an invention that changes the world has got to be exhilarating. I can imagine that knowing you were able to come up with something where there is a need would make you feel quite proud.

Can you imagine the money you would come into for inventing something that became popular everywhere, such as 2017’s fidget spinners? I bet whoever ran with that idea doesn’t regret their bank account. How about the inventor of the Pet Rock? Can you imagine such a dumb idea making someone rich? It did, $15 million in the first 6 months alone!

Yellow smiley faces that you see everywhere from buttons, to your grocery bag were not invented by Forrest Gump, as the story goes in the movie, but by Bernard and Murray Spain. They made $155 million from it.

Some inventions make life easier. Some make it more fun. But not many actually change the world. Out of those that do change the world, not all are triumphs when it’s all said and done. And even some that seem so innocuous end up becoming a regret.

Sometimes, an inventor regrets what they have made and wishes they had never come up with the idea in the first place. They create with a certain image in mind, but sometimes things take on a life of their own when they get into the hands of the masses.

One such example is Mother’s Day. The woman who invented Mother’s Day, meant for it to be a day to honor our mothers. She went to her grave hating how commercialized it became.

The inventor of the K cup, popularized with the invention of the Kuerig coffee system, hates his invention. Hindsight is 20/20 now that they are filling up landfills because they are not recyclable or biodegradable.

Even the guy who came up with emoticons, as a simple way to convey a little emotion, to let someone know you’re joking through text, wishes he hadn’t. He intended it for that purpose, but as we all know, they have taken on a life of their own. They are used in ways he doesn’t approve of and it makes him wish he hadn’t ever created the first one.

Here are seven other inventors who regretted their biggest inventions.

1. J. Robert Oppenheimer

Image Source: dunyanews.tv

J. Robert Oppenheimer was the director of the Los Alamos lab during World War II. The countries of the world were all in turmoil and fighting against each other, and too many men, women and kids were losing their lives every day, and it seemed like it would never end.

A research team at the lab created the atomic bomb, and Oppenheimer is often referred to as the father of the deadly, world changing invention.

While creating the bomb, they thought they were doing good work. They believed this weapon was going to help make the world safer for themselves and all Americans.

The mass casualties and horrific devastation of so many innocent Japanese caused them to wish they had never created the bomb.

In his later years, Oppenheimer said that the war numbed the world, and it was a horrible mistake that was made when they developed that weapon of mass destruction. It may have won the war for us, but at too high a price; the lives of the innocent.

The man who invented one of the favorite weapons of terrorists, dictators and gang lords, definitely has regrets. Mikhail Kalashnikov is the man behind the AK47 rifle that has been used for so many mass murders, as well as terrorist and gang activities. He never imagined that it would be used for such evil deeds when he created it.

He passed away in 2013 and in his last years, the AK47 weighed heavily on his mind.

He sent a letter to the Russian Orthodox Church head asking some of the things that had brought him regret over the years concerning his famous weapon.

He asked if he was to blame for the millions of deaths that happened at the other end of his rifle design. He wanted to know how God could allow such hatred and cruelty to take place in the hearts of so many. How God allowed such propensity for greed and violence.

Now onto something that isn’t quite so serious on a global scale. You probably remember a game from a few years ago, 2013 to be exact, that had everyone young and old going nuts.

The game was called Flappy Bird, and the man behind it was Dong Nguyen.

When he released the game to worldwide frenzy, he was unprepared for all that came along with it. He was upset by how much the game and all the publicity that came along with it was affecting his life.

His game was making him almost $50,000 a day at one point, but it was all just too much for him to take. He regretted inventing the game and letting the whole world into his life.

He also felt tremendous guilt over the addictiveness of the game that was affecting people in negative ways.

Amanda Johnson is a former Army brat who resides in southern Alabama. She is married to her wonderful husband, Brian, and has four children; Justin, Nicolas, Molly, and Lucas. She loves reading, writing, cooking, and going to concerts. She also loves spending time at the beach and hopes to retire there someday.